Arba‘in (Li Itmamil-Hujjati ‘Alal-Mukhalifin)

The Forty (Divine Arguments Against All Opponents)

Background/Specimen of Writing

On the first page of Arba‘in, the Promised Messiah(as) forcefully laid down why he is embarking upon this project, he says on Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 17, page 343:

Today, in order to satisfy all seekers of knowledge, I invite all my opponents, non-believers that I propose to publish forty flyers2. So on the day of Judgment, I can present to God Almighty that I have fulfilled my mandate. So now, with all due respect and humility, I address all Muslim clergy, Christian clergy, Hindu clergy and Pundits and Aryans to whom I send this flyer and inform them that I have been sent to this world in order to uplift morality, and reform beliefs and remove weaknesses of faith. My step is in the footstep of Jesus, peace be upon him, and it is why I am called the Promised Messiah. And I have been commanded that I spread the word of God and of truth by manifesting heavenly signs and teaching piety. I am against raising the sword for the purpose of spread of religion and to cause bloodshed in the name of religion. I am a Prophet of God and I try to remove all mistakes and weaknesses.

The book consists of four handbills (though originally 40 such handbills were planned). In the first Arba‘in (No. 1) issued on July 23, 1900, the Promised Messiah(as) declared that it was not a Mubahalah, nor was it meant to be a dreadful prophecy for any opponent.

In the first part, the Promised Messiah(as) said:

I am called the Promised Messiah. I am commanded to spread the truth in the world only through pure teachings and extraordinary signs. I am against the use of the sword for the sake of religion. I am commissioned to remove, as much as I can, all wrong notions from among the Muslims and to invite them to the ways of pure morals, forbearance, meekness, fairness and truthfulness. I declare unto all Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Aryas that I have no enemy in the world. I love mankind as does a mother, even more than that. I am an enemy only to such false beliefs which destroy the truth. Sympathy for man is my duty and hatred of falsehood, idol worship, transgression and every kind of wickedness, injustice and evil behaviour is my principle. The real reason for the effulgence of my sympathy is the fact that I have discovered a mine of gold and Jewels and it is a good fortune that I have found in this mine, a priceless diamond full of lustre. The price of that diamond is so great that if I were to distribute it amongst all my brethren of mankind each one of them would become richer than the one who possesses in the world today notwithstanding the greatest quantity of gold and silver.

What is that diamond? The True God. To get to Him is to recognize Him, to have a true faith in Him, to seek Him it would be the height of injustice that after possessing so much wealth I should keep mankind deprived of it, that I should enjoy it while they should starve. It is absolutely impossible for me to do so. My soul is sore vexed when I see their poverty and starvation and my heart sinks when I find them in darkness. I want to fill them with heavenly wealth, and I wish them to get as many jewels of truth as humanly possible …

It has been made clear to me that among Divine messengers, he, whose teaching is perfect, holy and full of wisdom to the utmost degree, is our Chief, Muhammad Mustafa(sa).3